JING JING!

I LOVE this Jing video software!  It is quick and EASY...once you get the microphone set up correctly…and after you’ve rehearsed your script several times.  Even after that, be prepared to record your presentation several times to “get it right”.

My experience with Jing involved preparing a PowerPoint presentation on Orchids, and using the PowerPoint slides as my video capture.  Having so much to say, initially the recording time was well over 6 minutes.  Because Jing will only record a maximum of 5 minutes, editing was essential.  Because a viewer may get bored with 5 minutes, additional editing was necessary.  This allowed for a lot of script practice in timing.

Jing would be an excellent tool to use for a library’s website.  Providing short tutorials on how to reserve a book, or renew your library books online would be helpful to some people.  Because librarians are often asked to help fill out government forms, short tutorials, section-by-section of those forms, would also be extremely helpful to patrons.  “How To” videos might also be offered on fixing things around the house, gardening, or car repair.  For children, Jing could be used for videos of storybooks being read with turning pages.

One of the most important suggestions I would make is to divide the video topics into parts, making several short videos.  It will give you the ability to expand on the information for each part, while at the same time, keep the video to a manageable length.  Otherwise an excess amount of time is spent editing down, when you could be recording.  With one assignment, so much to say, and the unwillingness to eliminate any sections, I was, nevertheless, able to create a Jing video that I am proud of.

Watch my video on Orchids - The Basics

Welcome to the World of Wiki!

It’s been another “first” for me this week – Project Wiki; or, to be more precise, “Group Project Wiki”, an assignment which enabled us to explore the wonders of this media tool.  Being an online class, group members can be living anywhere.  Yet, as long as each member of the group is a member of the Wiki site, information can be added from anywhere at any time.  All that’s needed is a topic and an Originator - someone to create the Wiki site. 

The Originator creates the site and sends Wiki invitations to the people s/he wants to join the Wiki.  Those people sign in and join the group.  All group members have access to change, add, or delete information on the site.  They can also add pages, creating a new page template or downloading a current page as a template.  This helps in keeping the formatting similar.

The only thing that cannot be changed by everyone in the group is the theme and color scheme of the pages.  This can only be done under the Originator’s sign in, which s/he can share with others.  There are several theme templates and color themes from which to choose.  For $5.00 extra a month, one can upgrade the account and create a custom theme, as well as create a custom style sheet to present on.

Navigation on the Wiki is simple, and members can find everything they need under the “Manage Wiki” link.  To add a page, simply name it and choose from where to download it.  If it’s a template, add or change the information.  The “Edit” button at the top is always available for anyone to edit the page.  There are features that link, add files, create tables, and widgets.  The choice of fonts, however, is very limited.  I believe that this feature could be improved.

Creating the Navigation bar with a list of your pages can be done manually, or by using a widget.   Listing manually was, to me, easier than figuring out how to use the Navigation widget.  Listing manually, however, looks very basic on the side bar, yet it is still functional.

To share your Wiki with the world, make sure to choose “public” during setup.  Then send out the URL!

The Wiki is a great media tool for people to connect, near or far, wanting to share information on a topic, be it book or movie information, reviews, places, special programs…ANYTHING!  If someone wants to add information to your wiki, they can request to become a member of your wiki group.   

So...Welcome to my Wiki!